Huge interest in sun telescope

A new solar telescope giving people a close-up look at the sun has been causing a stir.

Designed specifically to view the sun, the telescope, which belongs to the Whakatane Astronomical Society, is proving popular with amateur astronomers and the public.

It's the first telescope of its kind to be brought into New Zealand, and the Whakatane organisation has been taking it around the country from its base at the Whakatane Observatory.

Society president Norman Izett said it had been an exciting time since the society bought its new 152mm Lunt Solar Telescope.

Given there had been a dramatic increase in solar activity recently, the telescope was providing viewers with incredible sights, he said. "It has exceeded all our expectations.

The sun as seen through a filter attached to the telescope. Image: JOHN DRUMMOND

"With the increase in the sun's activities there's been a thrill a minute with massive solar flares and huge sunspots.

"It has been quite addictive, especially with the amount of detail you can see.

"We took it to the Royal New Zealand Astronomical Society's annual conference last May where it created great interest."

Mr Izett said last weekend the society took the telescope to Gisborne for a camp of amateur astronomers keen to photograph the sun.

There was huge interest in the telescope wherever it went.

"There's a huge 'wow' factor and people are blown away by the detail you can see, especially of the massive flares and sunspots.

"You can focus, tune it and change the type of wavelength of light which brings out different features of the sun."

The only problem was it could be used by only one person at a time so there were always queues of people waiting, but the society was working on a solution. "We're trying to get a webcam attached and connect it up to a screen so a lot more people can see."

Mr Izett said the society bought the telescope direct from the manufacturer, Lunt in Tuscon, Arizona, for $14,000 with the help of funding from the Southern Trust, supported by the Whakatane West Rotary Club. The specially designed telescope blocked the blinding rays of the sun to a safe level for the human eye, Mr Izett said.

The Whakatane Observatory is open on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year, weather permitting, at 7.30pm, or earlier by arrangement.